UNH is high on freshmen

Saturday

Sep 29, 2007 at 3:15 AM

University of New Hampshire hockey coach Dick Umile usually takes a wait-and-see approach to unproven freshmen. Whatever they give the team is a bonus, he often contends. But this season could be different.

Umile has already gone on record as saying that as many as four of the nine incoming recruits have the potential to become regular contributors. That group, of course, features James vanRiemsdyk, the second overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft whose much-anticipated arrival brings high expectations along with a certain degree of pressure to perform.

"He doesn't get that attention in our locker room," Umile said. "He's just one of the guys. I'm sure on the Internet and everywhere else he's gotten a lot of attention. He handles it pretty well. He's all about the team. He'd be the first to tell you that. I think early on he'll get some attention.

"He's all about the team first as it should be," Umile added. "That's how he'll be treated here. Hopefully he plays well."

"I put the most pressure on myself," said vanRiemsdyk. "No outside source is going to affect that. I expect a lot out of myself. Nothing really changes that, whether I get picked second or I don't get picked at all."

There was speculation that the New Jersey native might never play for the Wildcats. Some thought he would sign with the Philadelphia Flyers, the team that drafted him. And there were rumors the Flyers wanted him to play juniors in Canada because the caliber of competition is higher than U.S. college hockey.

But vanRiemsdyk — a strapping 6-foot-3, 190-pound power forward who played the last two years with the U.S. National Development Program and brings a wealth of international experience to the table — had committed to UNH and he planned to honor that commitment. At least for the 2006-07 season. After that, however, all guarantees are off.

"No question he's a talented kid," Umile said. "But he's a freshman and he just wants to be a part of this team. Hopefully he comes in here and gets comfortable and plays well and becomes one of the top freshmen in the league. I think that's my expectations for him along with maybe a couple other freshmen. Obviously he's coming in with high expectations. He's just fitting in right now. He's just one of the guys on the team."

"I don't know him too well yet," said senior defenseman Brad Flaishans, "but I think he's had this pressure the past couple years and I think he knows how to deal with it pretty well. He's mature for his age. I feel like he's one of those kids that when the light's on him he does well. I think he plays well under pressure."

With three of the top five scorers gone from last year's club, there are openings up front. Seven of the nine freshmen are forwards, including Phil DeSimone, a third-round pick of the Washington Capitals and 2006-07 player of the year in the USHL, and Mike Sislo, last season's player of the year in the EJHL. The Wildcats also lost their top scoring defenseman in Chris Murray.

"We're going to need some help there from the freshmen," Umile said. "I believe four of them could be playing on a regular basis. We've got a couple guys who can help us score. Obviously James will be someone who could step in along with Mike Sislo and Phil DeSimone. And who knows, maybe one or two of the others. The freshman class is a good class. We'll need them to help the team."

"This freshman class is really deep from the first guy to the ninth guy," said vanRiemsdyk, who led the USNDP U-18 squad last season with 33 goals and 63 points in 42 games. "We've clicked off the ice and there's a lot of talent on the ice."

The start of the season is still a month away and the team is presently engaged in captains' practices with the first official workout scheduled for Oct. 6. Despite the informality, Wildcat captain Matt Fornataro has been impressed with the skill level of the rookie class as a whole.

"From top to bottom it's a phenomenal class," Fornataro said. "A lot of people have heard about a few of them and talked about them and hyped them up, but there's some guys that will definitely surprise people for sure. They're all great players and we're excited to have them. They're going to be a big part of the team this year."

"I think overall our freshman class is unbelievable," Flaishans said. "They've got a lot to offer. Across the board it's got every kind of different player you could ask for. It should be a class that comes in right away and makes an impact."

Al Pike is a staff sports writer for Foster's Daily Democrat. He can be reached at 742-4455, ext. 5514, or at apikefosters.com.

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